We stand with Oleg Sentsov

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Over four months ago Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov declared a hunger strike, demanding Russian authorities to free all Ukrainian "political prisoners." He has lost 30 kg since the beginning of his hunger strike. His action has sparked protest in his support across the globe. The voices of his supporters are mostly directed at Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, to remind him that Oleg Sentsov should never have spent a single day in prison and his fight for justice should not be in vain.

AP

I don’t know what your convictions are worth if you are not prepared to suffer or die for them.

Key facts about Oleg Sentsov

20 years

Prison sentence

4 months

On hunger strike

30 kg

Lost since the beginning of hunger strike

5000 km

Away from his home in Crimea

The story of Oleg Sentsov starts on the night of 10 May 2014, when members of the Russian security service (FSB) arrested him at his home in Simferopol, the capital of Russian-occupied Crimea. They put a plastic bag over his head and suffocated him until he passed out. They threatened him with rape and murder to force him to “confess” to organizing bombings and other “terrorist acts” as well as to possessing illegal firearms. Sentsov was able to see his lawyer only 17 days into his detention, when he was transferred from Simferopol to Moscow together with other suspects in his case.

This was the beginning of an extremely cynical show trial. Sentsov's relatives and lawyer believe he was detained for being a pro-Ukrainian activist who peacefully resisted the Russian occupation of Crimea. No single piece of evidence was presented to the court to prove Sentsov’s personal involvement in committing the crimes he was accused of. At the court hearings, Sentsov adamantly maintained he is innocent. The case against him should have collapsed when the key prosecution witness stated in court that he testified against Sentsov under duress. But all of this didn't prevent a Russian military court from sentencing Sentsov to 20 years in prison.

Since then, Sentsov was transferred to several prisons in Russia. Prison transfers in Russia are known for their inhumane conditions. In November 2017, Sentsov’s lawyer reported that his client has developed heart problems after being exposed to extremely cold temperatures. His latest destination is a penal colony in Labytnangi, a small Siberian town above the Arctic Circle. After several months in Labytnangi, Sentsov lost two teeth and has started losing his hair – the severe climate there is not suitable for Sentsov according to his lawyer.

The kind of hell Sentsov has been through is far too much for any person, let alone an innocent one. He is protesting for others unfairly convicted to be released, but he himself also deserves freedom.

Sentsov's debut film "Gaamer" premiere is screened at Rotterdam International Film Festival.
- Olga Zhurzhenko / International Film Festival Rotterdam

Oleg Sentsov is arrested on the night of 10-11 May 2014 at his home. He complained that when he was detained by the FSB officers they tortured him by placing a plastic bag over his head, and suffocating him until he passed out. They threatened him with rape and murder to force him to “confess” to organizing bombings and other “terrorist acts” and to possessing illegal firearms.
- Sergey Pivovarov / Reuters

Sentsov is transferred from Simferopol (Crimea) to Moscow (Russia) in violation of the international humanitarian law (Russia as an occupying power in Crimea is prohibited from transferring prisoners from occupied Crimea to its territory).
- Tverskoi Vagonostroitelniy Zavod

The North Caucasus District Military Court sentences Oleg Sentsov for 20 years in prison for allegedly setting up a branch of a “terrorist group” and organized “terrorist acts” in April 2014.
- Getty Images

Amnesty International Netherlands hands over 19,000 signatures in support of Oleg Sentsov to the Russian Embassy.
- Ilya van Marle / Amnesty International

Pussy Riot holds a public action in Yakutsk (where his prison colony is) in support of Oleg Sentsov.
- AP

Sentsov is transferred from Yakutsk prison colony to Labytnangi. Labytnangi is a hard-to-reach village in West Siberia with very harsh climate. Sentsov's health started to deteriorate because of extremely low temperatures in Labytnangi.
- Anna Tsygyma / Hromadske

Johnny Depp takes part in a photo shoot in support of Oleg Sentsov as part of the Voice Project.
- Voice Project

DEMAND #FREESENTSOV

Oleg Sentsov is demanding to release all Ukrainians that have been either arrested or convicted in Russia on politically-motivated grounds. There is no particular list of these individuals, but Ukrainian and Russian human rights groups have determined that there are at least 70 such individuals (and their number is changing constantly over time). Among them are Sentsov's co-defendant Aleksandr Kolchenko who is serving a 10-years sentence; Crimean Tatar human rights defender Emir-Usein Kuku who faces a sentence of to up to 25 years in prison; and Stanislav Klykh, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison and was subjected to forced psychiatric treatment that resulted in severe deterioration of his mental health.